Sep. 24--Boeing Co. has begun to reinforce the frame of its first 787 Dreamliner and another plane used only for structural testing, one of the last major tasks to be completed before the oft-delayed jet takes its first flight.

Writing in his blog, Boeing marketing vice president Randy Tinseth said that Boeing planned to soon begin structural fixes on all six Dreamliners to be used to flight-test the new plane.

Chicago-based Boeing has said it expects the Dreamliner to take its first flight by the end of the year, an important milestone that is expected to allay many of the concerns that have built as the plane strayed more than two years behind schedule.

A source close to the program said Boeing aims to have the 787 in the air by the end of November or early December.

Boeing had postponed the first flight in June, just days before the plane was to take its maiden voyage, disclosing that its engineers had found unanticipated weakness in the area where the jet's wings are attached to its body.

The all-new Dreamliner uses super-hardened plastics more extensively than any other large jet. Such composites are stronger and lighter than metal, but behave differently when subjected to stress.

Boeing engineers testing the strength of the 787's wings had discovered that the added force caused the composite frame to start to fray in a handful of small locations on either side of the plane, delamination that wasn't anticipated by its computer models. Boeing's flight-testing was put on hold while engineers devised and tested ways to strengthen the jet.

That was the latest in a string of design and production issues with the 787, which have ranged from a shortage of titanium fasteners to software code. Even so, Boeing has scored more than 800 orders for the plane, shattering sales records.

Boeing last month shuffled management of its commercial airplane division, bringing in Jim Albaugh, head of its defense business, to replacing Scott Carson, who is retiring at the end of the year.

In a recent message to employees, Albaugh stressed the point that the 787 is the first all-new jet of the 21st Century, Tinseth said. "And as such, it's a departure from all commercial airplanes produced since Boeing launched the commercial jet age with the 707."

jjohnsson@tribune.com

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